The Cleansing Diet

A cleansing diet supposedly helps restore your energy and health. This diet claims that it flushes away toxins from the digestive tract then allowing your body to remove food waste through bowel movements. The diet is a natural, vegetable based diet with whole grains.

What foods do you eat with the cleansing diet?

During the cleansing diet consume whole grains, vegetables, fruits, pasta, rice and beans. Vegetables and fruits should preferably be organic. Lightly steaming vegetables will help retain their nutritional value. You want to consume a gallon of water a day or more if possible. You can also have herbal teas, natural lemonade without refined sugar, and 100% juices. While doing the cleansing diet it is suggested that you eat a variety of vegetables equaling 80% of your diet. Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, artichokes, red and green vegetables are good choices. You may eat fresh or frozen fruit. Try to consume 25 grams of fiber a day, or take a fiber supplement.

What foods do you need to avoid on the cleansing diet?

While cleansing you should try to reduce the amount of fatty foods you take in. These foods are hard to digest; red meat, heavily sugar based foods and non-nutritious foods are foods to avoid. You may have rice, brown rice is preferred. Green peas and lentils are also good choices, since they are the easiest to digest. Kidney beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas are also suggested. Additional foods to avoid include any allergenic foods, meat (mainly organ meats), milk, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and other dairy products, refined sugars and flours, fried foods, and eggs. You want to eliminate soda, including diet soda, coffee, and teas containing caffeine. You'll need to avoid yeast, alcohol, food additives and preservatives, high fat foods, and chocolate.

What exercise is required when cleansing?

Exercise is recommended during the diet. You need to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water daily.

Who does best on the cleansing diet?

This diet is not right for anyone who works far from home since it will increase your bowel movements. People with anemia, cancer, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, thyroid disease, and kidney disease should not try this diet. If you have one of these diseases or disorders contact your primary care physician to find out if you could do the cleansing diet under their supervision.